Rebbetzin Chana’s Last Letters

Welcome to our weekly Motzei Shabbos program.

This month we spent four programs about the Rebbe's father, and now it's towards the end of it, and especially this coming week is a special day. So since we spent this month about the Rebbe's father, I thought I would spend this program today, a few minutes, about the Rebbe's mother. We have to be equal.

We know there's a connection to the Rebbe's mother because the Rebbe's parents were married to each other.

And also, the Rebbetzin came to America the same week as the Rebbe came, seven years earlier. The Rebbe came with the Rebbetzin [Chaya Mushka] in 1941, and the Rebbe went to pick up his mother in Paris also. They arrived [around the same time of year].

So, talking about hatzalah, I wanted to mention that for the Rebbetzin's citizenship papers, the Rebbe wanted that Rabbi Mindel and Rabbi J.J. Hecht should be witnesses at the citizenship [proceedings]. Here is a copy of the witnesses and the date that she became a citizen.

Now, the date of the document is March 3, 1953, the 16th day of Adar 5713 — the same Hebrew date as the Frierdiker Rebbe's citizenship four years earlier. The Frierdiker Rebbe became a citizen also on the 16th of Adar 5709. Same thing.

Now, before I share with you a letter that Rebbetzin Chana wrote on Thursday, three days before she passed away — she sent it three days before she passed away — this was written to Mrs. Ashkenazi.

Then I will share with you a letter that she sent six days before she passed away, to Mrs. [Neov? — unclear], to his wife, my father-in-law's mother-in-law, and to Mrs. Mindel, and to my wife Freda. The Rebbetzin wrote this — I'll show you the envelope — this was six days before she passed away. I also want to share with you an article by Rabbi Mindel that he spoke at a dinner that the Rebbe was [involved with], and also a letter that [Rebbetzin Chana] wrote to Mrs. Ashkenazi about the importance of girls learning [Torah].

But first I want to say something just about Rebbetzin Chana. She was born in 1880, I think, in a [town — unclear] of Ukraine. Her parents were Rabbi Meir Shlomo Yanovsky and Rachel Yanovsky, and her father was the chief rabbi of Nikolaev. When she was a teenager, [her future husband] arrived from Lubavitch.

So she would meticulously transcribe [teachings], making them available. She was very bright, she was very talented, and she had an ear for music — we know her father also had an ear for music. The Rashab made her shidduch; the Rashab knew her and said that she should marry [him].

So they got married, and the Rebbetzin gave birth to three children. The Rebbe was born in 1902.

We heard many things about [the Rebbe], but about Dov Ber we didn't hear much — even from those who were with him in class, I didn't hear much about Dov Ber. On the day that the Rebbe was born, the Rashab instructed and gave brachos, and he sent six instructions regarding certain things — how he should be wrapped in a certain sheet, I think — and they were told that they should name him after [a specific ancestor], and that they should wash him, and before she nurses him she should wash her hands, and there were more — six instructions in all. The Rashab would wash his hands in a ritual manner, and she would do the same.

She also, I think, sewed — I don't know if that was an instruction — sewed [garments for the baby]. I mean, the people who understood what the Rashab told them [understood] this child would be — I don't know what they thought, a rabbi — but he would be a great person.

Now, when her husband was in prison, she helped him write and inspired him to write, and she preserved his writings. [Rabbi Levi Yitzchok] passed away in 1944.

She wanted to see her children. Her children were not there — none of them. But she especially wanted to see her oldest son, who is the Rebbe. [Someone] helped her get money for a ticket to leave Alma-Ata, and she went first to Moscow.

She arrived in Moscow in 1945 and lived in a small suburb. For some reason she had to run away from danger, and then [someone] helped her. She crossed the Russian-Polish border and arrived in Krakow, and then Poking, in Germany. Her oldest son, the Rebbe, was in New York, so he sent a telegram to the people there to intervene on his mother's behalf, obtaining the necessary papers for a visa to continue the journey. Eventually — I'm telling you this in short — she left Poking, and [went through] Munich, Frankfurt, and she came to Paris, arriving in 1947.

As soon as she arrived in Paris, it was Tammuz 1947 that her son flew from New York to meet her — twenty years he hadn't seen her — and it was very, very emotional. After that they went by boat; they came to New York.

And this is good to know, which I heard from my father-in-law: the Rebbe wanted — I think the Rebbe went there by plane to Paris, but coming back I'm not sure, back for sure not, because I think the Frierdiker Rebbe told him not to go by plane. I don't know why — maybe in those days it wasn't safe, I don't know the reason — but he warned them not to go by plane. That's what I was told. So they came by boat, and they arrived this coming week [of the year].

Now, having been in Russia, having been in Poland, having been in Germany, she had a very hard life, and she came to America, and of course the Rebbe became the Rebbe. So of course she had the pride and joy when he became [the Rebbe]. She always used to speak about the character of [the Frierdiker Rebbe], and when she used to speak, you could see tears of joy. She always was interested in other people — I think she went to shul, she was an outgoing person, she spoke to people. I know at parades she also went.

So when the Rebbe's brother [Dov Ber, "Leibel"] passed away — he always used to write to his mother, and she used to write back, I think. But when he passed away, the Rebbe didn't want her to know that he had passed away. So I think the Rebbe wrote letters [in his brother's handwriting], since he knew his handwriting — I'm not sure who I heard this from, but I do know that the Rebbe, while sitting shiva for his brother, used to go to his mother every single day. But during the shiva, he still went — he put on rubbers [overshoes] so that she shouldn't be able to tell that her son had passed away.

And by the way, when it became [known], or that was Shabbos — there's something else I wanted to say: that on Shabbos he always wore a coat, even in 100-degree weather — it is said you should wear a coat on Shabbos. So when he used to go [to visit his mother] on Shabbos, he used to wear a coat.

And this they saw also on Shabbos — when Rebbetzin Chana passed away [the Rebbe went straight] from the farbrengen to her house; he put on a coat, and also during the week of shiva he wore a coat.

I remember — [someone] came, he was there a long time, and I think the Rebbe came and spoke about [this]. I remember, anyway — so, I want to share a letter that she wrote two days before she passed away.

So here is a letter in her handwriting, a letter that she wrote, and it says the date here. I think [the recipient] was Mrs. Lieberman; I think she was a daughter of Rabbi [unclear] of [Riminov? — unclear]. And she writes here, and she gave her a brocha.

And it says here — another letter that I mentioned to you — it says "Mrs. Nomi Mindel," "Freda Mindel," and "Mother" — here it says "Mother, 238 Walnut," she wrote. Now, when did they get it? Here's the postmark that says September 11, 1964 — September 11, 1964 — that's the date, which means they arrived on Friday, and she passed away on Shabbos.

And she writes over here — let me see exactly — and it says, by the way, she spelled [words] differently than the Rebbe spells.

So September 6 she sent it; September 11, Friday, it arrived. Hei Tishrei [— the date of her passing].

Now I want to share with you a letter that she herself wrote to Mrs. Ashkenazi, about how much she was concerned about girls learning Torah. She writes here — that's her handwriting — and I want to read to you what she wrote:

"To the esteemed Mrs. [Ashkenazi], greeting and blessing. [I write this] in answer to your letter of the fifth of Kislev. I feel obligated to give you some of the fruits of my pen, some of my written thoughts. I wish to say that although I am not a writer or a decision-maker, the learning of Torah with women and girls, both [here and there], is a good thing. I remember when our parents, zal, would tell us regarding this — the learning with women and girls — that we should not learn with the girls. Those were different times. The way of living was altogether different, especially for the children in Russia, who had no opportunity due to the difficult circumstances and the opposition to matters of faith and religion, and mainly in connection with education from an early age. The teaching [mentioned above] enables action and gives strength and connection to religious life and the fulfillment of all that is dear to us — the knowledge of Torah and the life of our people. Therefore, be strong and brave, and Hashem should help you with blessing of strength and success." And she signs her name.

And this is something that later on the Rebbe saw — that letter — and the Rebbe wrote something about girls learning. I have no time to go into that, but he spoke about the importance of it, because some people feel that girls don't have to learn, or that it's not important, like years ago — but now things have changed.

Now I want to share with you a letter, but I'm not going to read the whole letter, just part of it. In the year 1981, Rabbi J.J. Hecht, who was very close to Rabbi Mindel, asked Rabbi Mindel to speak at a Chinuch dinner that he organized. It was before [a certain date].

So he accepted. Rabbi Mindel wrote his speech and showed it to the Rebbe. The Rebbe said, "I'm sure you're going to write down your speech, and since it's for my mother, I want to see it beforehand." And the Rebbe wanted to see it, and [Rabbi Mindel] gave it to the Rebbe, and the Rebbe made hagahos on it. So I'm going to read to you what he wrote — what the speech was — because the Rebbe made hagahos on this. There's a three- or four-page letter; I have no time for all of it, but I just want to tell you the beginning of what Rabbi Mindel wrote, with the Rebbe's hagahos.

This is — he said, "Thank you, Rabbi [Hecht]."

"I will not dispute all the generous remarks which Rabbi [Hecht] spoke about Rabbi Mindel, but I must set the record straight: to participate in the annual event dedicated to the sacred memory of the great lady for whom [this dinner] is named is all my privilege, honor, and pleasure. I thank you for inviting me again, and I am certainly glad to share this occasion with you." This was after the passing of the honored Rebbetzin, of saintly memory.

"I hesitate to say anything by way of assessment of her personality; I don't think I could do justice to it. I will only say that to have known her is a great privilege and an unforgettable experience. In her presence, especially as your guest for a cup of tea or on any other occasion, I always felt that I was in the presence of royalty, and was tempted to address her, calling her 'Your Majesty.'"

And by the way, Rebbetzin Chana went to visit Mrs. Mindel in Long Beach. So Rabbi Mindel knew her very well.

"I think the most appropriate tribute to her could be in the words of our Sages — Ashrei. You will recall that this was originally meant for Rabbi Yehoshua ben Chananya, one of the five most outstanding disciples of Rabbi Yochanan ben Zakkai. While the master found an appropriate personal quality with which to praise each of the other four, of Rabbi Yehoshua he said instead, 'Happy is the mother who gave birth to him' — as if his father had nothing to do with it, nor the third partner, which is Hashem. We can only infer that his qualities were so many and so well-balanced that the best way to describe him in two words was a great tribute — not to the son, but all the credit to the mother.

"If people should ask me, as some do, 'You are so close to the Rebbe — you see him, spend an hour each time, week after week, month after month, all these years, and many more till Moshiach comes, and hopefully also after that — tell us something about the Rebbe that we do not know' — my answer would be: a mother's influence cannot be duplicated."

And then he said, "You girls, take note," and he spoke further about this before — another three pages — it was beautiful, maybe another time I'll tell you.

So, since this week is [the anniversary of when] the Rebbetzin came to America, I thought I would share this with you. Next week we'll continue our weekly program. Thank you.